Illumination
by Quincey Forder-Denis De Plaen
Summary: Up to now, Stephanie Brown's universe was a bleak place with few prospect for the future, and being kidnapped and sold to the Reach wasn't helping much. Or was it? An encounter and eye openner will toss her life into a wild ride, with revelations and secrets to keep with her life. Rated M for themes, language, situations and violence. Chapter 3 uploaded
1. Chapter 1

Illumination

A Young Justice fanfiction by Quincey Forder/Denis De Plaen

Disclaimers : This is a free work of fiction, for non-profit purpose. No money is made or gained from it by the author. Young Justice and all related characters and canon events are property of DC Comics/Time Warner and Cartoon Network. All other product placement and media mentioned in the story are properties of their respective owner, and only present as illustrations, not for commercial or advertisement purpose. All original characters created by me are under Creative Commons attribution.

*****Illumination*****

Gotham City,

April 2th, 11:55 am

To say Stephanie Brown was incensed as she climbed the steps leading to the Police Station would be the understatement of the year. Heavy on the 'under'.

A middle aged and overweight woman in uniform was manning the front desk, absentmindedly.

Steph stopped in front of the desk, but the woman, identified as Sergeant Genniviève Murphy by the metallic plate on front of the desk and the lapel on her chest pocket, did raise her head from the screen.

That didn't help Stephanie's mood one bit. She took a deep calming, breath and addressed Murphy.

"I'm here to press charge for kidnapping." the teenager said in a calm but clipped tone.

"Who's the victim?" Murphy's monotone reply came from behind the screen in a bored and monotone manner.

"Me." Stephanie replied, struggling to keep her cool.

"You're here, kid, so how could you be kidnapped?" Murphy sneered.

Steph gripped the edge of the desk. She wouldn't let that woman ruin her composure.

"I was rescued by some of the Justice League, obviously. But I know who did it, and I want to press charge against him. Against my father."

"Why don't you come back with your mother?" Murphy replied in a dulcet tone, clearly not giving credence to the blond teen in front of her. "Violation of visitation rights are more in the turf of the lawyers."

"That's not that! My father is a known criminal, one of Batman's rogues, even!" Steph snapped angrily.

Murphy rose from her seat. Steph was reminded of Aunt Marge Dursley from the books she loved to read. Same girth, same temper and same purple skin tone on the face.

"Don't raise your voice on me, young lady, or I'll..."

She cut in the middle of her threat as a tall and dark skinned man walked by and stood behind Stephanie. He looked to be in his middle to late thirties, dark hair cut short and with a salt and paper goatee. His trench coat was open and revealed an badge hanging by a chain from his neck.

"Is there a problem here, Sergeant Murphy?" he asked in a deep baritone tone.

"Just a kid whining about her daddy issues, Detective Allen." She replied, eying Steph disdaintfully."And one skipping school, obviously."

Steph bit her tongue from snapping at her.

"I was kidnapped, a few days ago, and I want to press charge against the one who did it. My father, Arthur Brown."

A light of recognition lit up in the Detective's eyes.

"You're Stephanie Brown, aren't you?" he asked. Steph blushed and nodded while Murphy did a double take.

"You know the brat, Allen?" She asked, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Allen glared at the rotund and rude officer.

"As a matter of fact I do. Not personally, but I've interviewed her mother and questioned her father, a few times. And I wouldn't put it past him to kidnap his own daughter, or worse."

Murphy and Steph both blanched, for different reasons.

"I'll take it from here, Sergeant." Allen stated, with an air of authority that shut the older woman up.

He turned toward Steph and smiled at her "I'm Detective Crispus Allen, but my friends call me Cris."

Another detective walked by and smirked at Allen and Steph.

"And his ex-wife doesn't call him at all!"

"Shut it, Korrigan!" Allen snapped, and Steph giggled behind her hand.

"Just ignore him, Stephanie." Crispus groaned, leading them toward the elevators. "Let's talk at my desk, upstairs."

"Steph." she corrected as the elevator's doors openned. "My friends call me Steph."

Allen grinned back at her.

As they stepped out of the elevator and and headed toward a double door on their left, Stephanie couldn't help but notice the busy apparent pandemonium that reigned behind the glass door.

The name pained on it stated "MAJOR CRIME UNIT – Capt. Maggie Sawyer"

Slaloming between desks and people, the duo finally reached an unoccupied desk on which laid a number of piles of files around a flat screen.

"Damn, Cris, you really pick them young!" teased a woman's voice from the desk across Allen's.

Steph blushed a deep red and turned her head toward the desk, and saw a familiar face.

"Officer Montoya?" she asked, surprised. The woman, a beautiful latina in her early thirties winked at her.

"It's Detective Montoya, now, Steph. And I told you it's Renee for you."

Steph nodded and released a relieved sigh. She had met Montoya on several occasion, when the woman was just a beat cop. She, along with Detective Bullock and Batman, saved her and her mother from some of her father's criminal 'friends', or from her father himself, on occasion.

"You two know each other." Cris stated, looking back and forth his partner and the teenager.

"We go way back, don't we, Steph?" Montoya replied, and Steph nodded. Montoya's face grew serious. "what did he do, this time?"

"He sold me." the blond simply stated.

"What?!" exclaimed both detectives, attracting the attention of their colleagues.

*****Illumination*****

North Gotham, near Crime Alley

March 29 th, 1:15 am

The door of the small apartment burst open as a tall and long, blond haired man barged in.

At the ruckus, the brunette who was napping on the couch was startled awake, and reflexly reached for her glasses.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" the man shouted.

The brunette blinked and starred at the man groggily.

"Arthur? Wha...?" She began, only to be backhand slapped in the face by the man.

"I asked you a question, Crystal!" he shouted. "Where is Stephanie?"

The brunette just blinked at him from where she fell, then snoozed back into drug induced slumber.

"Useless junkie bitch," He snarled, looking around, and the open med cans laying disorderedly on the coffee table. He picked on of them and read the label. "Fucking great, she'll be out of it for hours!"

He headed toward the bedrooms and opened the doors. Sure enough, there she was, that useless ungrateful brat! Playing video games, waving at the screen, headset on her head. Instead of sleeping. And he wondered why she never got up in the morning to practice with him. I'm sure Crock never had that problem with his daughters! Arthur's own was dragging him down, slowing him, causing him to be passed over to join them.

"Incoming!" she shouted, unaware of her father's presence "Two Titans at eleven! Cover me while I'm getting in one!"

With a snarl, Arthur Brown reached down and pulled the plugs from the wall. Immediately the TV set and the green X on the front right of the console went dark.

"What the fuck?!" the teen exclaimed, only two have her arm caught in a vise grip.

He eyes grew wide with pain and anger, and also fear.

That was her father, the criminal known as Clue Master.

"Get up!" he snapped at her, pulling Steph to her feet. "We're going for a trip, you and I! For spring break."

She didn't bother telling him that Spring Break was already over by almost two weeks, now. She could, like him, take a clue.

"Whereto?" she did dare to ask.

"Star City," He simply said, pulling her toward the exit of the apartment.

Steph looked at the living room, seeing her mother sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, snoring. No help to expect for her mother.

The coat her father tossed at her hit her right in the face

"Take this on, we're going." He ordered.

The drive was long and boring, lasting for hours, avoiding the high ways. Normally it would take only a couple hours from Gotham to Star City. They slept the night in a seedy motel, and arrived the day after. Her father obviously didn't want their tracks to be found. Or her to escape.

Steph was too tired to, anyway, and she fell asleep after only a couple bite from her tacos?

The wake up was rude and painful.

Landing on concrete, rasping her elbows. Something landed on her. Her coat.

A iodized smell finished to wake her up. She looked around, pushing her hair from her face.

Her eyes grew wide again, for the second time in two days. She was in a cage! On docks!

"DAD!" she shouted, looking wildly around, panicked.

She saw him, finally, discussing with a young woman she had never seen before, clad in an armored suit and a feline patterned helmet.

Another man was standing by the woman's and her her father's side. His huge helmet and red visors were a dead giveaway of whom that man was: BLACK MANTA!

Oh shit! Shit shit shit! And a side of 'shtako!' with it!

Looks like the sleeping beauty is finally rising." The young woman mocked in a raspy voice. But Steph couldn't shake the sense of familiarly to that voice, one she couldn't put her finger on.

"What the heck is that?!" Steph shouted, grabbing the bars of the cage.

All three adults ignored her.

"So This is it? You get Stephanie for your partner, and I get inducted in The Light?"

"That's the deal, wasn't it? You know the boss is a man of his word." the woman rasped, her arms crossed.

A look of horror grow on her face. Her father, her own father, was selling to God knows whom, for his petty ambition and sense of self worth?!

Oh God, am I going to die, now?

"So when are you taking her in?" Brown asked eagerly

"Patience." Black Manta said. His voice surprised Stephanie. It sounded so young! Much younger than she had expected. "We are still expecting more deliveries from the state before we head back. Go back to Gotham, Brown. The Light will be in touch."

*****Illumination*****

Gotham Central

April 2 nd, 12:30

Steph was sitting at Cris' desk, sipping at a mug of steamy hot instant soup.

"So, after you were debrief and checked up at Starlabs, you were driven home?"

the teenager looked at the woman who spoke, and had joined in the conversation, early in the tale.

"That's right, Detective Chandler." Steph replied after she swallowed a mouthful of peas flavored hot lava falsely labeled as soup.

Montoya gave a smile to the young girl and turned toward her partner. "The console is said to record the last five minutes of gaming. Did you have the Kinect connected?"

Steph nodded.

"But the dick pulled the plugs and caused a hard quit. I don't know if my 'One didn't suffer from it. That kind of stuff is a big no-no." Steph amended.

"It's worth a shot." the elder blond haired detective said with a shrug.

"That's why I picked the Play, myself. No Big Brother watching!"Chandler's Asian partner commented from his desk. "Anyway, We might be able to make the kidnapping charge sticks if we get the footage from the console. But for the aliens, that'll be harder."

He pointed toward the TV hanging from one corner of the room.

Steph looked up...and would have fallen if she hadn't been sitting.

G. Gordon Godfrey, Mr Anti-Justice League-Propaganda was singing the gospel of the new alien ally whose ambassador was shaking hand with the UN Secretary General. The Reach was welcomed with red carpet and applauds.

A wave of nausea hit her and her soup made it second apparition, straight to Montoya's trashcan.

"Eww! Gross!" Korrigan commented, pinching his nose.

"Shut it, Korrigan!" A new voice snapped. A handkerchief appeared in Steph's field of view, held by feminine, pale fingers.

"Thanks" Steph moaned, as she accepted the offering. She looked up and saw a blond haired woman in her early forties smiling at her. "Sorry about that, ma'am."

The woman shook her head

"Think nothing of it, sweetie." she said, then turned toward Renee. "Montoya would you please take Stephanie here to the bathroom so she could refresh herself?"

Montoya was on her feet in a second.

"Sure, Captain. C'mon, hun." She said, wrapping an arm around Stephanie's shoulder.

Montoya was leading her out of the MCU across the hall when a trio was climbing down the stairs.

"Hello, Commish! Lieutenant, Barbara." Steph heard Montoya greet her mentor and the other two, and turned to do the same, when she froze on her feet.

Montoya looked at the young blond girl concernedly. "Steph?"

"It's nothing, just a bit of vertigo. Thanks, it's the attention that Count." Steph tried to joke, earning a groan and chuckle from the four adults.

One was the famous Commissioner Gordon, the other, whom Renee called Lieutenant was a blond haired middle-aged woman with a kind smile and sparkling blue eyes and the third, the one she called Barbara... was one of her rescuers from the grasp of the Reach. Batgirl.

Her eyes rolled in her head and she fainted, not hearing the gasps and her named being called by Renee.


	2. Chapter 2

Illumination

Chapter 2

Quick author note, folks.

First, thanks for the following. It's even a greater motivation than reviews to me.

Second special thanks to my longtime friend Laurean Leigh, who helped me find this title; and to Gareth Adams who is courageously enduring through my brainstorming monologs on Facebook and offering helpful remarks, feedback and suggestions. Thanks, mate!

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for Cellular Divide, sometime mid to late August (tentative time), which will focus on Wendy Harris, and how and why she'll end up in this present story. So yeah, she'll be mentioned before, but it'll be a while before she's physically here.

Oh and I've found an artist to draw the cover pic for the story, It should be up in a few chapters, but it's coming!

Anyway, onto the story!

*****Illumination*****

Gotham General Hospital

April 2nd, 5:30 pm EST

First thing Stephanie Brown noticed beside the throbbing pain in the back of her head, which would considerably worse if it wasn't oddly numbed somehow, was a deep masculine voice

"Looks like the sleeping beauty is coming to."

Painfully she tried to open her eyes, and almost freaked out, before realizing that the lights were dimmed. Several figures surrounded her bed.

Wait. Her bed?

Last thing she remembered was the red head, the very same that came to their rescue in Star City.

"Where am I?" she asked with a pasty tongue, making her speaking slurring a bit.

"In GGH. You fainted there, and you were brought here. Turns out you were under a mild concussion when you went there." The male voice answered. She looked at him. Boy, was he tall! With a well cut mop of red hair that, somehow mixed well with the scrubs he was wearing.

"You should see the other guy." she joked painfully

"What happened that make you faint, Steph?" asked a familiar woman's voice.

Montoya, Renee, was there too; and that made Steph smile a bit.

"Well when I saw the red haired girl, Barbara, I thought I saw..." she cut herself short there. What were you going to tell them, Brown?! Are you stupid?!

Barbara, she noticed, whom was also in the room.

"Saw what, hun?" Renee probed gently. Steph winced inwardly.

"Jean Grey." she ended up reply.

All three adults blinked, confused. Did her concussion cause hallucinations? Was written on the doctor's face. Barbara looked...relieved. So she didn't dream or mistook her from someone else.

Stephanie grinned sheepishly.

"Well, Dr McDreamy, you know in the movie, a couple years ago, when the hero was about to keel over and stuff, he saw his dead red haired dream girl, Jean Grey. Hey, wait a sec! If Wolvie dreamed about Jean, since he's a guy, am I dreaming you, since I'm, you know, a girl?" she asked in panic. "Am I dying?!"

Montoya and Barbara barely kept their laughter in check and the deep blush that covered the doctor's face.

"Don't worry, dear, you'll be fine. We'll keep you in observation for a day or two. Doctor McDreamy's orders."

This in turn made the blond teenager flush pink in embarrassment. But her face quickly dropped into a frown.

"Can't do, Doctor. I don't think my mom's insurance would foot the bill. And my..."she spit the word 'father' with a contempt that shocked the MD but didn't surprise either woman. "...has any insurance of his own, at all, let alone for me."

Barbara reached down and squeezed Stephanie's hand. "Don't worry about it, Stephanie. Just relax and get better. You are safe here, and you got a guardian angel here. Right, Renee?"

Montoya gave Steph a conniving wink and squeezed her other hand.

"You betcha!" Montoya said.

The red haired doctor grinned.

"I was a guardian angel too, you know? Before. Then I got an arrow in my knee."

Barbara and Stephanie both laughed, while Montoya looked dumbfounded, making the two younger female laughed harder before Steph winced in pain, and her monitor beeped at an abnormal spike.

"She needs rest." he said seriously. "Detective, you may stay. Ms Gordon, if you please?"

Babs nodded.

"Of course, Dr Elliott." She leaned down and gently pecked Stephanie's bandaged brow; "I'll come by tomorrow afternoon."

Steph's lips quirked a bit before her features relaxed and her breathing eased in a regular and even pattern.

As the doctor and the redhead left the room, she asked with a smirk. "A Skyrim reference, doc? Really?"

Tommy Elliott smirked back and shrugged.

*****Illumination*****

A stunning woman with long blond hair and a statuesque physique was sitting in the cafeteria concession of the hospital, sipping her coffee, and looking outside at the city's skyline. Barbara had called her while Stephanie was in the CAT scan. Thankfully all the debriefings were already done and the kids saved from the Reach arrived safe and sound at the Taos' facility of Star Labs, when the call came and she jumped in the first zeta tube she came across, straight to the Belfry and from there to the Hospital on her Nightwing bike, nearly ending as a patient here herself, along the way.

When she had debriefed the twelve years old girl, there was a spark between them, like a connection being made, that didn't happen with the others, not even with the Japanese girl.

The teenager was happy to be able to converse with somebody without the language barrier and despite Dinah's atrocious -according to the respectful teasing of the younger woman- accent. But with Stephanie, it was different.

She had recognized Barbara, Dinah Lance was sure of it, it's probably the shock of the realization that did her in, along with the concussion her teammate told her about, that caused her the pass out.

Dinah bit her finger articulation. True she wasn't a physician herself, merely having a minor in psychology to along with her degree as lawyer, before she became Black Canary, but she has field experience and suffered enough of those to notice them in others.

So how could she have had missed that in Steph?

A hand on her shoulder startled her, and reflexively she grabbed the hand, twisting it, effectively sending its owner into a flip ending with them landing on the linoleum floor in an undignified heap, and stopping her closed fist half an inch from the dark skinned wincing woman now beneath her.

"Ow! Ow! Dinah! Chill, girl! I don't want to end back as a babbling vegetable. Once was enough thanks to my no-good-for-a-brother, mind you!"

"Shondra! I'm sorry, girl! I was hundred miles from here!" A flustering Black Canary apologised.

Said Shondra grinned as a beet red Dinah pulled her back to her feet.

"Penny for your though, Blondie? I'd give more, but a second year intern doesn't earn much, these days."

"You would have wasted you money, Dr Kinsolving. You know what they say about blondes" Barbara Gordon teased as she walked toward the duo.

"Why, you soulless ginger brat!" Dinah mock growled back, reaching for Barbara who deftly dodged.

"Aww! But I thought you loved your roomie!" Barbara whined playfully at her mentor, trainer and roommate.

Kinsolving chuckled at the antics of the two young women. It did brought back memories with her two roomies, back in college. She often pondered if the sole reason they hadn't been kicked out for all the ruckus they caused was because Dinah's father was a cop, or because Sil's own was filthy rich.

"Ding! End of round one, kids, each in your corner." she joked, stepping between the two. "And Barbara, don't you think you can call me Shondra, now?"

Babs grinned.

"I guess I could, Doctor Shondra." the red haired prodigy grinned. "By the way, I got a new computer. Could you teach it to sing for me please?"

Shondra laughed.

"Only if you call it Hal." she joked back and added for a very confused Dinah. "2001 A Space Odyssey."

"Oi! You nerds are giving me a headache!" the blonde heroine complained, sitting down at the table.

"Oh, by the way, Stephanie is awake and lucid." Barbara exclaimed.

Dinah looked up and let out a deep breath of relief, her eyes welling up, but she kept herself in check.

"She implied it was her father who did it, and that she reciprocated before heading to Gotham Central. She also knows I'm you-know-who, but covered up and said she thought I was Jean Grey."

Dina and Shondra chuckled. The African American MD was in the Bat-secret, she almost became a part of the family herself before her brother and an unidentified accomplice did a number on her that caused her to become half-catatonic half-regressive for almost half a decade. She eventually got better, but had to retake all exams she had taken from age twelve years old up, including a three years internship to regain her licence as Medical Doctor. She also had to relearn how to use her power, something Martian Manhunter and Zatarra did help her with, before Giovanni was taken over by Dr Fate. She declined a membership in the League afterward, though, but accepted to take over the retiring and aging Leslie Thompkins as "Bat-Doctor".

"So, what happens now?" Dinah asked. "While I'm sure Brown isn't going to try and sell her again to the Reach, I don't know what he could do to her for having spoiled his hopes."

Shondra sighed.

"I don't know, but for the next 36 hours or so, she'll be safe here." the doc explained.

Barbara seemed to have an idea.

"I could suggest her mother to give me her protective custody." She suggested, but Dinah shook her head.

"Wouldn't work, Babs. For one, you're eighteen, which is three years short for the limit as a guardian, and for two you are unrelated to her."

"But you are, Dinah." Babs replied, her eyes burning with determination

"I'm what?" she asked.

"Over twenty one. Beside you're Black-freaking-Canary! Who's better than you to give her protection? I mean, you convinced even my dad to let me be your room mate when I was sixteen, because you could protect me from James Jr, and you could hide me if it came to it. The same argument would work for Stephanie. And she knows I'm BG, and your identity as BC is of public notoriety."

Barbara could see that she hit home there, and that her elder was very tempted to give in.

"Come on, Dinah. I can see you're soft on the girl. She reminds you of me and maybe a bit of Jason too."

Barbara knew, the second she mentioned Jason, that she made a mistake.

Dinah sighed.

"You know Bruce isn't going to go for it. Especially because of Jason. Tim's different because Jack is still alive, albeit paralyzed, and even then he's still on trial run."

"But she is not Jason Todd, Dinah. She's the daughter of one of his rogue, and she's in danger. Isn't she why he and Oliver took Artemis in the fold?" Shondra whispered.

"And you know what happened a few weeks ago at Cape Canaveral, Shondra. Arty is..."

A tear rolled down Dinah's cheek. The loss of her so-called niece, who was like a daughter to her. The wound was still so fresh, and raw

Barbara kneed before her and cupped her cheeks in her hands

"But Steph is NOT Artemis. She's younger, and she is not in our sector of activity. She needs our protection. She needs YOU."

Biting her lips, Dinah nodded.

"Alright."

"It's late. Let's go home, take a bite and get some sleep. We'll see tomorrow what can be done."

Shondra smiled as she listened to the young red haired woman. How much she has grown during her...leave of absence.

With these two, the young Stephanie Brown was in good hand.

And she knew a certain shapeshifter who won't be able to crush on her like Wally did with M'gann, before Shondra went to la-la-Land for three years.

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham North District**

**Home of Crystal and Stephanie.**

**6:15 pm EST**

The digital shrill of the phone echoed in the Brown household, unheard. Or if was heard, left unheeded.

If anybody was there to hear the repetitive sound, one could almost feel the mounting apprehension of the caller.

Eventually, the answering machine picked up.

"Hello! You've reached Agnes..." the familiar voice of her friend Crystal began.

"...And Stephanie Brown!" her quasi-goddaughter added joyfully.

"We can't pick your call right now, but leave a message to Jarvis -Really, Steph!"

"And we'll call you back ASAP! Toots!" laughed Steph's voice.

A loud beep followed and a feminine, husky voice replaced the inhabiting girls.

"Crys, Steph, it's Selina, again. Where are you? I'm getting worried. It's my...elventh message. Arthur, if you did to them, so help me God..."

Selina, at the other end of the line, sighed.

"Please, when you hear this, call me back on my cellphone. Holly says hi. Love you both tons."

The communication was disconnected an the LCD screen now displayed a 14 and the red led diod was blinking, bathing the darkened living room, and the unconscious feminine form laying on the ground, a spilled bottle of vodka in her loose hand and an empty medication can among the shard of the broken glass coffee table.


	3. Chapter 3

Illumination chapter 3

Author note: As you probably noticed in previous chapter, you've probably noticed couple guest stars, in the persons of Shondra Kinsolving and Tommy Elliott. It doesn't mean that Knight Fall and Hush have happened on Earth 16. Not yet anyway!

Again, a HUGE thanks to Gareth Adams who proofread most of the chapter 2, except of the call scene at the end.

Onto the story, now!

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham Cemetery **

**April 3 rd, 8:00 am EDT**

Dinah was crouching in front of the huge tombstone with the a name carved on it, a name that tore through her heart whenever she saw it.

ARTEMIS LIAN CROCK

Beloved Daughter

"Good morning, sweetie." the blond adventurer whispered, gently touching the rough stone with her fingers tips.

She knew that she wasn't supposed to have favorites in the team, but Arty was different. She was as close as her daughter as any could possibly be. She was... Special.

And now, she was gone, barely 21 years old, just shy of 22.

Something wet dropped on her jeans and she realized it was a tear.

"There's that girl I met, a few days ago. She's so much like you. And she's in trouble. Her dad is a real sleezebag, as I'm sure you can relate to that." Dinah let out a humorless chuckle. "But he's even worse than Crusher, he sold his girl to aliens to be experimented upon, in hope it'd get him in with the Light. Babs wants to adopt her, or at least get custody of her. But it's not possible. One she's under twenty one and single. I could, I guess, but..."

Another voice interrupted her monologue.

"But you're afraid to loose her too, if you opened your heart to her. Or won't even get the chance to."

Startled, Dinah turned and back flipped before landing in a guarded position. Seeing now who had spoken she blinked.

"Hello, Dinah." Paula Crock smiled kindly but her smiled was filled with sorrow.

Dinah gave her a sheepish grin.

"Hi, Paula." she said as she walked toward the crippled Asian woman and hugged her. Paula squeezed her tightly before releasing her.

"Visiting our girl too?" Paula asked. It touched Dinah when Paula called Artemis 'our girl'.

"I sorry, I presumed that it would be okay." Dinah apologized but the older woman took her hand in her own.

"Dear, she's as much your daughter as she's mine. No sense hiding it anymore."

"Even though Ollie and I aren't married anymore?" Dinah whispered.

Paula chuckled and leaned forward,cupping Dinah's cheek with a hand.

"Honey, I know from the start it wouldn't last with Oliver. God, it's one reason I made the biggest mistake of my life and going with Crusher. And getting charmed again while the abusive prick was running around the world. Relationships aren't his forte. Nor is mine, apparently."

Dinah cupped Paula's hand with her own, savoring the feel of warmth against her skin.

"At least you've got something out of both dicks." Dinah quipped then blushed "God, did that came wrong or what?"

Paula just laughed. A real laugh

"Someone call an orthodontist, we need to remove a foot from a mouth here!" Paula said with a chuckle. "Thank you, Dinah. I needed that. Haven't laughed in weeks. Wally did his best to cheer me up, but even he's grieving for his 'spitfire' as he called her. He left a few days ago. He has College to attend to. And life to live, not taking care of a old crippled broad."

Dinah's hard look caused Paula to sigh.

"I know what you're going to say, Arty wouldn't want to hear me say that about myself."

"You know that..." Dinah began, but Paula shut her up with a finger on her dark pink lips

"I know Dinah. Bruce and Diana both made the same suggestion. But this is my price. My Karma. I'm glad that you guys trust me with your secret identities, but I can't accept charity anymore than cheating my way back to my legs. I was a villain when I got my wound. Worse I'm a fallen All Stars hero who became a criminal hanging with the wrong crowd after my brush with death. That wound, those years in prison, they were my wake up call."

Dinah sighed too, and nodded, seeing her friend's point.

Paula smiled and pointed to the handles behind her back

"Walk me home, will you? And you can tell me what hails you and young Miss Gordon's friend over breakfast."

"Okay. But you'll have to tell me where you live. Every time we sociolize before was at the Cave or the Hall of Justice, or at Queen's Mansion."

"You forget Christmas two years ago, at Bruce's mansion. You guys had an emergency and left me alone with Alfred and enough food to feed a roman legion for a year, or the Allen-West speedsters for a week!"

Both women laughed at that.

Forty minutes later, Paula put the dishes on the kitchen table as Dinah was finishing preparing the tea.

"So, Dinah, tell me what's wrong now." she simply said.

Dinah nodded and began retelling the events that occurred earlier that week. At one point, Stephanie's full name came up, making Paula gasp. Dinah quirked an eyebrow

"Stephanie... Would her mother name be Agnes? Or Crystal?"

Dinah nodded "I guess you heard about her and her daughter from Jade? Or Crusher?"

To the Leager's surprise, the former Huntress shook her head, looking alarmed.

"No! They live on the third floor! When Jade was younger, she used to teach Stephanie some Wing Chun forms on the rooftop during school vacations and weekend. Used to drive Crusher bonkers that his daughter would train Clue Master's girl."

Dinah blinked "They still live there? Upstairs, I mean?"

Paula nodded. "Let's go and see if Crystal's up for some breakfast, too."

The blond wasn't convinced it was a good idea.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." she mumbled as she followed Paula out of the apartment toward the aged lift.

When they arrived, the door was slightly ajar.

_Yes, a really bad feeling about this_, Dinah thought, raising her fist vertically at her face height.

The retired hero-turned-thief recognized the gesture and stopped.

Dinah pulled her Kevlar polymer gloves and walked in, senses in high alert

The place was a mess, like someone went berserk in there, or fought.

A glass coffee table sit there, between couches, half broken, edge shinning red and dripping in the rising sun's light. And there, on the broken pieces of glasses, laid a woman in her apparent late thirties or early forties, with deep cut on her left side and a slowing growing pool of blood. She was extremely pale, but seemed to be still breath, though shallowly.

"CALL 911!" Dinah shouted as she tossed her smart phone to Paula "Tell them it's a B&E with a seriously wounded vic, unconscious and bleeding. Give them the code that appears on the screen, it'll confirm it's a genuine League call."

Dinah went to check the bedrooms, caution not to disrupt anything.

She found Stephanie's room... and it was like entering a disaster zone. A flat screen was lying broken on the ground, an expensive gaming console was split in half with a fire ax still lodged in the ruins that used to be a finely made poster bed, the closet open and the clothes ripped appart spread all over the room.

God, if Stephanie saw that, it would devastate her, Dinah though

"They're on their way!" Paula shouted from outside. "I tried to call the BCave, but nobody's answering."

Dinah sighed as she made her way back to the hallway

"B and the core members of the JL are on Rimbor."

Paula obviously recognized the name and what it meant.

"The sixteen hours?" she mouthed, and Dinah grimly nodded

"We're on our own, then?" the Asian woman asked in a whisper

"Whereas Gotham is concerned? Pretty much. Babs, Dick and I are covering for B, since Tim's too blue and too young to go solo." Dinah answered in Vietnamese.

"Fuck. And your accent needs work, by the way." Paula replied in English.

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham General Hospital**

**Stephanie Brown's room**

**8:20 am EDT**

What woke Stephanie up was the smell of warm viennoiseries, hot apple pockets,chocolate buns and croissant, along with freshly brewed coffee.

True, her head was still a bit painful, and being shaken awake ever two hours and a half wasn't exactly pleasant. But this smell made up for everything.

"Smells good in there." she mumbled, followed by two laughters

She opened her eyes and saw Renee Montoya, her detective friend, and another woman, about the same age as Renee, with a lovely chiseled face, short brown hair that weren't all pixies like.

Steph didn't know her name, but recognized her from the framed picture on Renee's desk.

Renee smiled at the young blond haired girl, while cupping the hand on her shoulder.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty." Renee greeted her with a cheeky smile "Dee here brought me breakfast."

Said Dee scolded at Renee and smacked her shoulder

"Renee! You're supposed to share." 'Dee' said in a school teacher tone.

The Detective had the grace to look somewhat contrite.

"You right, of course." She got up and went to the door, opened it and peered through the gap. Steph could see another police officer, also a woman, Asian and in her early twenties.

"Ellen you want some goodness from Dee's restaurant?" Montoya offered

Both Dee's and Steph's jaws just dropped

"I didn't mean Officer Yin, you goof! You're welcome to have some as well, dear! But I meant this young lady here."

Stephanie decided there and then that she liked this mysterious Dee. She reminded Steph of her mother before she got addicted to her meds and alcohol.

"Daria Hernandez," she introduced herself, and went to hug Stephanie after a look and a nod. "You can call me Dee, if you like."

"Stephanie Brown, but I generally get called Steph, or ungrateful brat." she bit her lip when she realized what she said, and felt Daria –Dee squeeze her tightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."

Dee gently let her go.

"You're anything but ungrateful, dear." the older woman said softly.

Unseen by Stephanie, Montoya and Dee exchanged a look, but Renee shook her head sadly.

"It wouldn't be safe for you or Renee, Dee." Steph murmured, eyes welling up, but she refused to shed any tear. "There is no telling what my father, or worse, Black Manta would do to you guys to get me back with the Reach."

Dee felt both powerless and heartbroken. It reminded when her Renee was outed by Two-Face, framed for murder, jailed, broken out and kidnapped. Renee had barely made it, she dreaded to imagine how a twenty years younger girl would cope with that, how she survived it at all.

Dee reached in her bag, pulled her phone, but Renee, again, shook her head, so she switched for a note book, and scribed on her rapidly, ripped the page off, then handed it to the girl

"This is my digits and address. If you need anything, food, shelter, anything, you call."

Steph was moved by the kindness of this near-stranger.

Then she was gone, after quick and chaste kiss on Renee's lips.

"She's cool." Steph commented simply, and exchanged a smile with her blushing cop friend.

*****Illumination*****

**Wayne Tech HQ**

**Legal Affairs Department**

**9:00 am EDT**

All nighters, and on weekend, to boot, were killers.

That's what went through the platinum blond beauty that was presently reclining in her expensive directorial class chair.

Her back was protesting loudly and painfully as she rose from the chair, a few seconds later, her spine creaking and cracking with each movement. She took a few steps, abandoning her high heeled shoes under the desk, and savoring the feeling of the thick carpet under her stockings clad feet

So hard to imagine what a living hell it could be, down there, when one were so high up, in literal ivory towers. The proverbial shadowy perch, behind walls of granite and lime, of the leads of the city, industries captains, lawyers, judges and media moguls.

"...They know where you hearth, they know where you sleep..." she hummed softly to herself, the old lullaby her mother used to sing to her, but left out the second half of the strophe,_ speak not a whispered word about them, or they will send a Talon for your head. _

A soft ring tone startled her, making her jump. Great! Now she get scared by a childhood bedtime story! Owls ain't real. Not that kind of Olws, anyway.

Looking up, she saw the PICK UP icon on the window pane's smartglass and tapped it with a manicured finger.

"Silver St-cloud." She said simply.

She listened a bit, untying her hair from their restraining pony tail.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Bruce Wayne -She was getting really worried, he hadn't given any sign of life since earlier in the week, and she knew, bitterly so, what kind of activities he was involved with, at the cost of everything, including romantic relationships and engagement- but it was another familiar voice. One that spoke really fast.

"Slow down, Dinah, and start over. What do you need me for? And where?"

She waved in the air and a keyboard appeared before her. She typed some notes on it, giving vocal nods of ah-uh and mmhkay.

"Stephanie Brown, mother Agnes 'Crystal' Brown. Custody papers. Cotham General. Got it" Silver waved again and the keyboard hologram vanished. "Are you sure about yourself? Your stepdaughter just... waah! Calm down, will you? If the father contest it, you know the judge will ask it too."

A couple minutes later, the call was disconnected, and the gorgeous lawyer donned her shoes once more, picked her blazer jacket and headed for the door.

Finally, it wasn't just vigilante and super-heroes that didn't get to have a day off, lawyers and attorney didn't get it either.

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham General Hospital**

**10:45 am EDT**

The grey Avalon Sedan turned into the parking of the Gotham General and smoothly drove in the maze of columns and alleys, to finally stop near the elevators.

There, a young woman was getting off her bike, a rather big Italian bike for a person of her size.

As Silver St Cloud shut the engine down, she saw through the windshield the woman remove her helmet, a cascade or russet hair freed from constrain fell down in a fiery cascade.

She turned her head toward her and with a shock, the fair attorney recognized Barbara Gordon, on-and-off girlfriend of Bruce's ward Dick, and also daughter of Commissioner Gordon.

And, as very few people knew, Batgirl.

She gave Silver a lopsided grin and waved.

"Miss Gordon." Silver greeted as she climbed off the car, pulling an attaché case from the bottom of the front seat.

"Please, Miss St Cloud, call me Barbara." the redhead replied, walking toward her and extended a hand.

"Then it is Silver. I get the feeling we'll get to see each other a lot in the future." Silver smiled, but her eyes remained steeled and measuring. _Is this girl really fit to help raise a teenager? Both Dinah and her are superheroes, the former doesn't have a secret identity, and the Justice League is getting demolished by that G. Gordon Godfrey's smear campaign._

Silver studied the eighteen years old and noticed that her eyes belied her age. Just like Dick's and, God forbid, like Bruce's. She saw and faced so much crap in so little years.

She had seen eyes like that in Diggle, former bodyguard turned VP of Queen Entreprises before he resigned entirely and distanced himself from the Queen family.

While Bruce's womanizing exterior was just that -an exterior, Oliver Queen truly was a heartbreaking womanizer. And he had broken one too many with Dinah's in her book, and apparently wasn't above stealing the girl of the man who had his back for such a long time, when he married Felicity Smoak, who in turn replaced Diggle as VP and...

The DING! Of the elevator pulled Silver of her reverie and the women got in

"Dinah's waiting for us in the ER waiting room." Barbara stated. "I guess we'll get more information then."

Silver nodded but kept silent.

As expect in a city plagued with crime of various range, the ER was buzzing with activity, even for a Sunday morning.

It was a sight to behold to watch Barbara deftly moving between doctors, patients, nurses and worried relatives unnoticed and unblocked, when she herself was stuck in the ever moving tide of bodies, and she had to make her way crawling and saying 'scuse me and 'coming through' to keep up with the younger woman. If she had any doubt about Barbara's nocturnal self, those had been utterly destroyed.

Dinah saw them, obviously because she got up and waved, and gave a smirk to her roommate, as if to say 'you could have helped her'.

The two blonds embraced briefly. Behind her, Barbara give Dinah a concerned look.

"Hello, Sil. Sorry to disturb your Sunday morning." Dinah apologized, making Silver scoff.

"Please! As if you didn't spent lots of time at the CNRI office before the Undertaking."

Dinah snickered "Used to drive Tommy up the wall. I'm my father's daughter on that aspect. Sarah was more like mom."

Barbara blinked. Sarah? Dinah barely ever speak of the time before she became Black Canary, or of her family. She knew, because Artemis' death brought a lot of pain back to the surface and reopened badly healed wound.

To hear her speak about her long lost sister with that lawyer was a surprise. And that Tommy? Dinah has never EVER mentioned him.

"Silver and I go way back, Babs." Dinah explained.

Oh. Well, that explained it. She probably knew both Sarah Lance and that mysterious Tommy.

"Can't say I blame him, Dinah. Tommy Merlyn adored you."

_MERLYN?! As in...Green Arrow's nemesis?! _

_Holy plot twist, Batman!_

"He didn't have to sacrifice his life for me, though." Dinah said bitely

_Ouch. Must be a different guy. Will have to check the archives on the Batcomputer, back home._

"That's not just the memory of Tommy that get you worked up, it it?" Silver remarked, trying to change the subject.

"Stephanie Brown's mother was found in her apartment, OD-ed on medics and alcohol. Hard to say if it was from a binge or a suicide attempt. There were traces of struggle, too. Broken furnitures and stuff. But in Stephanie's room... It's a damn miracle she only got a concussion. And a mild one at that."

She waved in the air above her left wrist and a holographic screen appeared. She touched a couple icons and soon Silver's and Barbara's smart phones beeped.

Both opened the dropboxed files and gasped.

"He did this after she left." Barbara then said, her voice quiet yet deep. Her Batgirl's tone, realized Silver. "He went berserk and attacked her most valuable stuff, like her screen and Xbox. Then her closet and finally her bed. He might have been disturbed then, because he left the ax there."

Silver blinked. Wow Barbara REALLY was good!

Girl got a detective eye that would give Bruce's own a run for its money. And from what she heard, so has the new Robin.

"That's what decided you?" Barbara asked her mentor and roommate.

"Well it's what cemented my decision, but what sold me the idea was talking with Paula. She's..."

"Here." said a slightly accented voice.

Silver turned and saw an Asian woman in her late...what? Thirties? And wheelchairbound. Yet she ex sueded strength, and sorrow.

Barbara went to her and hugged her tight.

"It's good to see you too, dear." the woman -Paula, obviously- greeted Barbara with a chuckle.

Silver blinked, and looked closely at the woman. Then it clicked.

This was Paula Crock, Artemis' mother. She had talked with her on the phone, about five-six years ago, when Bruce had her working on full high school and college tuition, first at the prestigious but rather exclusive and quite expensive Gotham Academy then Stanford.

Paula saw Silver watching her and smiled, then grinned teasingly at Barbara:"Did you find a way to import characters from book and choose Fleur Delacour as test subject?"

She turned to the baffled lawyer. "Mrs Weasley, it's okay. Being in another universe and surrounded by Muggles must be quite a shock..."

Both Dinah and Barbara burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'm not Mrs Weasley, Mrs Crock, I'm Silver St Cloud. We talked on the phone about your daughter's studies fundings, a few years ago?"

Paula grinned.

"I know, I remember. But you were staring at me like _I_ was a Veela."

Barbara huffed "okay, Paula, enough teasing me about my Potterheadness! Garfield's enough calling me Hermione!"

Silver was blushing beet red and mumbled an apology.

Paula just waved and smiled at the blond haired attorney.

"It's Paula, and I shouldn't be teasing you either. I guess I hung around my son-in-law-to-be too long."

Silver noticed the shadow that passed behind Paula's eyes and squeezed her extended hand.

"Then it's Silver. It's a pleasure meeting you face to face, even considering the circumstances"

Footsteps closing in prevented Paula to answer, in addition to a young girl's voice.

"Barbara? Dinah? Aunt Paula?! What are you doing here?" Steph asked, dread filled her stomach and caused her already aching head to pound like a drum.

She had been asked to get down to ER, but not why. Fearing a trap, Montoya accompanied her, while Officer Yin remained upstairs and prevent uncleared people in the room, in case the call was a distraction.

"Steph, honey..." Dinah began, but felt her throat constraint.

"What is it? You're scaring me, Dinah." The young blond asked.

Paula wheeled closer and gently placed a hand on Stephanie's bandaged head.

"We found your mother in your apartment, upstairs. Dinah and I wanted to invite her for some chat and breakfast, and... And we found her unconscious and hurt."

"My mom? Don't tell me is my father who did this, because of me?!" Steph begged in a shrieking distressed voiced. Dinah approached and took the teenager in her arms.

"Don't even think it's your fault, Steph." The super-heroine told her gently, holding her close.

Hesitant at first, Stephanie finally returned the hug.

For some odd reason, the teenager felt safe, and secure in the older woman's embrace.

Something she hasn't felt in a long time.

Dee's embrace, two hours or so prior, was close, but lacked the implicit trust she felt in the famed Black Canary.

*****Illumination*****

**STAR Labs, Teos**

**April 1 st, 10:00 am MDT**

Steph, in a STAR Labs white sweatpant and hoodie, was waiting in a corridor, wondering for the unknown-th time what was going to happen to her, now. She was hundred, thousands miles away from home, and 'home' was probably not the safest place to be at. And she was seething. And afraid. And so fucking hungry! Those doctors had ran her through a battery of test. RMI, PET scan, blood and other internal fluid sample, you name it.

Finally she was given a statement that she hasn't been touched by the Reach.

_Touched?_ That really creeped her out.

"Daijoobu desu ka?" a young girl voice startled her. She looked up and saw a young japanese girl, barely a few years older than she was, that was looking at her with concern.

"Hai. Daijoobu desu ne. Onto ni. Shimpainai."

The girl blinked and smiled, delighted someone could speak her language, from what Stephanie could say.

"Boku waaa Stephanie desu. Gomen nasai, atashi no nihongo wa onto warui desu!"

"Iie! Anatatachi no nihongo yori ii boku no engulesugo yoi desu yo!" The girl exclaimed with a grin, then blushed and bowed. "Summimasen! Boku wa burei na da! Asami desu. Hajime mashite, Stephanie san."

"Don't worry, it's okay." Steph laughed and bowed back. "Ii desu yo, Asami san. Hajime mashite."

"Ooke?" she tentatively said and Steph nodded.

"Okay." Steph confirmed. "Ii desu ne."

"Okay! " Asami exulted.

A sculptural blonde arrived, holding a metallic mug branded with a famous stag head logo.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Lance sempai!" Asami exclaimed and Steph hid a grin behind her hand.

Somebody was hero-crushing something fierce!

"Ohayo, Asami chan. Sara ni 'Dinah' nazukeru nasai. Onegai shimasu?

"Okay!" Asami replied, causing Dinah to chuckle and wink at her, before she turned to Steph.

"Stephanie Brown?" she asked with a smile. "I'm Dinah. Would you mind having a little talk with me? It won't take long, then Nightwing will take you back to Gotham."

Stephanie nodded, and looked at Asami.

"GANBATTE KUDASAI!" the japanese heroine-to-be cheered for her and Steph gave her a thumb up, before following Dinah in the office.

*****Illumination*****

"Please, sit." Dinah invited as she walked around the desk.

Steph arched an eyebrow as she took in the small office.

"They should get their decorator examined for GAD or depression or something. This office is bleak!"

Dinah laughed at that. Actually laughed, not just a polite humoring chuckle.

"Probably. Want something to drink? Assuming the choice of beverage is somewhat better than the decoration."

Now it was Stephanie's turn to laugh.

It felt good to just laugh like that. The ice was broken, she figured. She sat down on the fold chair.

"What's the camera for?" Steph asked, "Some early audition for America Got Super-Talent or something? And I'll have some juice if you have any."

"To be able to review the interview later with the other members of the team." Canary explain.

Stephanie winced.

"I wouldn't say that to the others. Especially not the South American dude. Have you seen how he sneered at anything and anybody representing authority or overprotective father like the doc? They were at each other throat last time at dinner. He's got a chip on his shoulder. No, make that an entire motherboard. The Native boy, Ty, he's got decades, generation of 'government' issues going on. Big Brother, Indian Affairs, etc. I don't know about Asami or that Virgil guy. They both seemed better balanced. But better keep your story straight in case they compare notes. Like it's to help you remember?"

Dinah blinked. Several time.

Well, damn! That kid got some head on her shoulders. Picking clues from the others like that, after a traumatic event like being kidnapped. Maybe a coping mechanism?

"I'll keep that in mind. But you, hun? Does it bother you?"

Stephanie thought about it for a minute, then shook her head no. Even grinned.

"Actually I would have preferred it if it was filmed. And used against my dad."

_That_, Dinah didn't expect.

"Why would we use it against your father, Stephanie?" the blond Leaguer asked in a perplexed tone.

"Because he sold me to Black Manta and the Reach. He tried once, back in December, but I broke free and returned home, with the help of a cop. Batman even dropped and threatened him."

Dinah was dumbfounded. She hadn't heard about it. And she doubted any of the League or the team had. Except maybe Tim or Dick. _Damn Bats and their secrets!_

"Why would Batman do that?" she wondered out loud.

"I guess he doesn't take kindly when one of his low-rate Rogues use their own family as token in criminal business.

Dinah didn't like where this interview was going. She though it would be an easy debriefing and counsellings. Young girl at the wrong place at the wrong time. But now it seems Stephanie's case was the most difficult of the lot. She obviously wasn't a runaway, like most of the kids rescued by the team. But that she had been sold, and that it involved one of Batman's Rogues.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, one of Batman's Rogues?"

Stephanie sighed.

"My father is Arthur Brown. AKA the Clue Master. Will he drop by again?" the young girl asked, eagerly. "It would sure be a spoiler on my dad's plans."

Dinah pondered for a moment, and that made Steph nervous. Even more when the heroine cut the recorning.

"This doesn't leave this room, okay? I have your word?"

"You have my word." Stephanie answered solemnly.

"Batman isn't on Earth at the moment. He might not be coming back for a while."

_I'm fucked up!_ Thought Steph, struggling with herself to keep from hyperventilating.

That would explain why her scum of a father was giddy a couple months ago. He, somehow knew the Bat wouldn't be around. And it's been a while since any of the others of the Trinity weren't shown on camera, or close by.

"We know they were framed for something by a group of criminals known as..." Dinah began, but Stephanie finished her sentence for her.

"The Light?"

Dinah dropped her mug of coffee, drenching the desk.

"Dad wouldn't shut up at home about that. Gotta find a way to get accepted into the Light, gotta prove them I'm worthy, and on and on, since he got out of jail. Didn't help when Sport Master came and nagged him that he had to provide something and someone valuable. He decided it would be me, since I was botching his efforts in him trying to mold me into his sidekick."

"So he sold you to Black Manta and the Reach?" Dinah asked, horrified.

"In a nutshell. Already tried, in December, to offer me to that freak that bottled part of Metropolis, but I got out in time.

Dinah walked around the desk and knelt in front of the sitting girl. She could see in her eyes fear, hurt and anger. More like controlled rage.

"Promise me one thing, Steph." Dinah asked gently. "That you won't seek vengeance by yourself. Go to the police. They're cleaner nowadays, and even so, Clue Master broke his parole conditions. He'll be tossed back in jail."

Steph frowned.

"Dinah, you don't know the hell he's put my mother and I through. He drove her into alcohol and meds abuse. He has to be dealt with." she nearly shouted the last words, but kept herself in check.

"Go to the GCPD Central. Fill charges, then come to the Wild Cat Dojo on Byrne Street. Take your mother if you can. I inherited the place from my old sensei. You'll be safe there, honey, I promess."

"Cross your heart?" Steph asked in a small breaking tone, barely daring to hope against hope.

"And hope to die." Dinah whipped Stephanie's tear with her thumb and pulled her into an embrace

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham General Hospital**

**10:50 am EDT**

Dinah let the younger girl vent out her pent-up stress from the last few days and fear for her mother's survival on her shoulder, clinging to her hopefully soon-to-be guardian.

Gently, the blond heroine wiped Stephanie's tears with her fingers, and led her to one of the seats.

Silver stood nearby, a hand on Paula's wheelchair's handles.

"What happened to Mom?" Stephanie asked between sniffs. "Was it my father?"

Dinah shook her head uncertainly.

"We aren't sure, hun. When I found her, she was unconscious, with medecine boxes and an empty bottle of alcohol. I'm not a forensic expert. That's more Nightwing's turf."

Stephanie growled and punched the stack of magazines next to her.

"Damnit, Mom! I told her it's dangerous to mix alcohol and meds. Enough pop singers are pushing daisies because of that! And As a nurse, she should have known better!"

She sighed, her shoulders dropped.

"What am I going to do?" She wondered out loud. "If I return home, it's like painting a target on my back, and the team has bigger fishes to fry than rescue the brat of a washed out villain."

"Don't say that!" Barbara snapped. "You know I would go and rescue you if needed be. No matter whom your father is."

Paula rested a hand on the red haired vigilante's shoulder.

"Babs, calm down." she told Barbara gently.

Dinah smiled kindly at Stephanie and squeezed her hand.

"How about you came to stay with Babs and I for a while?" She suggested.

Steph blinked and looked at her.

"I'd love to, but... wouldn't it be putting you in trouble with the law? They're kinda touchy when it comes to minors living with unrelated adults."

Silver approached the teenager and smiled kindly at her. At first, Stephanie took her an ice queen kind of woman working for the hospital or the social services. But the gentle smile she received from the regal beauty broke that impression.

"Actually that's why I'm here today, Stephanie. I'm Dinah's lawyer, Silver St Cloud."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms St Cloud. But how, why would Dinah need her lawyer present? Is she in trouble?"

It warmed Dinah's heart to hear the concern in the young girl.

Silver opened her attaché case and handed a document to Stephanie.

"After what happened to you, Dinah called me and asked me to bring her this for your mother to sign."

Stephanie looked at the lawyer confusedly, then quickly read through the document.

"You...You want to adopt me?!" She gasped in shock.

Silver was quick to correct her.

"It's a petition for guardianship, actually. An adoption wouldn't be possible, as both your parents are alive and recognize you as theirs. This, however, allows Dinah to be your guardian, while your mother would still have legal right about you."

Stephanie nodded. Her godmother had broached the subject with her mom, but each time it ended in shouting matches.

"I see what you mean. And I'd love to..." Steph paused

"But?" Dinah asked, bitting her lower lip

Stephanie thought of a moment.

"With my mother in...her condition, is it possible to validate the guardianship without her signature?" she asked tentatively.

Silver sighed.

"I suppose, but either your mother or father could contest it in court, and have a fair chance of winning. And that would really hinder any opportunity to retry. You'd be stuck with either or both. Best case your mother, worst case your father." She explained to Steph with kindness but a bit of blunt honesty as well.

"Wow, you don't mince you words, do you?" Stephanie remarked snidely. "What, then?"

Babs answered for Silver

"We wait and hope your mother agrees when she wakes up."

*****Illumination*****

"_I dont' think so, meat." The tall dark armored alien mocked. He touched a wall, and the entire room shifted somehow. The door closed, locking them in._

_Stephanie gasped and stepped back, as the young heroes launched themselves at the creature._

_But they weren't match to that behemoth. _

_Batgirl was quickly impaled on the wall, Blue Beetle's neck twisted in an unlovely angle and then she saw the green skinned boy -who was her age!- loose his head as the Black one shifted his arm into a sword of sort and slashed through his neck, before cathing Robin -or whom she presumed to be Robin- in the chest._

"_No." she whispered in terror. "It didn't happen like that!" _

_the giant slammed Nightwing on his knee, back first with loud and sickening crack, and the punk girl with the tatoo on her skull fried Lagoon Boy and Bumblebees with her bare hands. The Black Beetle-like freak picked a fallen Batarang and slammed it into the dying Batgirl's left eye, killing her instantly, before turned to her, smirking._

"_But it should have. You belong to us, meat. And your father now is the new enforcer of our allies of the Light. We're going to have so much fun with you!"_

"_NOOOOOOOOO!"_

"Steph! Wake up!" a familiar voice ordered her.

She gasped, eyes open wide. Several people were staring at her, some in annoyance, others with concern. She felt hands on her shoulders and turned toward the worried red head.

"You're alive." Stephanie gasped and hugged her tight.

"Of course I am, you goof!" Barbara chuckled nervously. "you just had a bad dream, that all."

"We were about the Reach's ship, but...the all Team was killed and that black thing came to me, saying I belonged to them, now, and that my father had what he wanted."

"But they didn't, and he didn't. We made it out, Steph." Babs whispered to her friend.

At this moment, a dark skinned female doctor walked in the waiting room and approached them; and Steph looked at her, apprehension growing in her belly like a nest of wasps. And the nasty genetically modified ones from that book, mind you! Not the common ones.

Dinah squeezed her reassuringly hand and got up.

"Shondra. You have news for us?"

Stephanie looked at the Dr Kinsolving.

"Hows's my mother?" she asked impatiently.

Shondra smiled at the teenager.

"Your mother is out of danger, but it had been close."

Stephanie paled.

"Close? How close? Please be honest with me. I can take it."

Shondra exchanged a look with Dinah and Silver, who both nodded, albeit a bit relucantly.

But both blonds women knew that Stephanie would hate it if they try to sugar coat it.

The doctor sighed.

"Fine. She had lost a lot of blood from her cuts, over the hours. The medication and alcohol didn't help either. If Dinah had found her less than a hour later, she would have suffered severe brain damage from the hemorage, in addition to the toxic cocktail she ingested that really did a number on her liver, pancreas and kidneys. The transfusion was able to purge whatever was in the blood."

"I feel a 'but' coming." Dinah said gravely.

"I can't do deeper examination at the time, nor would her insurance cover for it."

Silver gave her a glare that said 'I can't believe you dare to bring that up.'

"You asked me to be brutally honest, well I am." Shondra snapped at Silver.

"I told you that the Wayne-Dawes Fund is there for such situation, and even if not, you know him, so we'll foot the bills."

Stephanie went through a storm of conflicted emotion as the Dr Kinsolving explained the situation. _No way we could pay if Mom needed heavy treatment or worse, a transplant. The transfusion alone is going to put us in dire straight._

Then the lawyer, Silver St Cloud said that some fund would foot the bills, or 'he' would? But who's 'him'? Wayne? _As in Bruce Wayne?_

Steph's mind was piecing the jigsaw puzzle of clues together before she could stop herself. Sometimes she wondered if she didn't have one of those 'metagenes' that she heard Nightwing and Superboy talk about on their way back from the Reach's mothership.

_What ties would Bruce Wayne have to do with that? Was in involved with the League stuff? _

_St Cloud seemed to be savvy about Dinah and Barbara. And Aunt Paula as well. _

_Does he fund the Justice League? If so, why? It represents millions of dollars. Billions maybe. What would make him? Because his parents were killed when he was a kid? _

_Why not take care of it himself rather than play silly amount of money to the JL?_

_Unless..._

"Holy fuck!" she murmured.

But Dinah, Babs and Silver heard her.

And if the aghast expression on their face, pinching the bridge of their nose or face palming, respectively, was any indication, her deduction might be on the money, so to speak.

"Nevermind. Is she going to be okay? Is she awake?"

The women blinked in surprise, then in pride, whereas Babs and Dinah were concerned. Grateful she was willing to drop the subject. At least for now.

"She's conscious, but still groggy and not fully coherent." Kinsolving replied with a smile.

Steph was on her way already, sneaking a glance on the MD's chart board, then to the booth were her mother was placed.

Crystal was pale, at least from what Stephanie could see beneath the gauzes. Her eyes were barely open and the white had a yellowish tint, sign that the liver was touched.

"Ste'anie?" she whispered when her daughter walked in.

"I'm here, mom. It's gonna to be alright." the teenager said, taking her mother's good hand and squeezing it gently, a tear rolling down her cheek.

It was middle of the Sunday afternoon, when Crystal Brown was fully conscious and coherent again.

As it turned out, she had no recollection of how she got hurt so badly. That brought up the topic of Stephanie's safety, along with her mother's stubbornness.

"I'm not going to sign it."

Dinah and Silver frowned, and Stephanie stared at her mother in shock.

"What?!" the young blond exclaimed.

"You think I'm going to give away my daughter to stranger?" Crystal snapped "Guess again!"

"You wouldn't even let your best friend, my grandmother, become my guardian!" Steph shouted back.

"She would turn you into a thief! She already taught you that parkour crap!" the mother sneered in reply.

"I don't believe it! Selina had stepped down from the business, in case you forgot! For me! And she only taught me how to do it right, not the half-assed way 'dad' did, so I wouldn't get hurt during that bloody training of his."

"And you think that so-called Super-heroine would do a better job? Would be a better mom?"

"Talia al Ghul would be a better mom, at least she isn't a drunk med junkie!"

"How dare you!" Crystal screamed, her cardiac monitor was beeping like crazy, the line drawing more mountains than the Himalaya and the Andes put together. "Even your father tries to redeem himself for you."

Stephanie just couldn't believe what her mother said.

"If you really believe that, you're dumber than I thought."

"Stephanie!" Dinah scolded.

"It's true, Dinah!" Steph replied, then turned to her mother and gave her a polar cold glare.

"Do you know where I was the past few days?" She asked in a low, breathless, emotionally drained voice.

"You ran away again, Arthur told me. Again, like in December."

That was the last straw that broke the camel's back for the teen.

"HE FUCKING SOLD ME TO THE LIGHT!" Stephanie screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks. "TO THE REACH!" she added, sobbing. "THEY... They were going to do experiments on me, like a guinea pig. Just because my DAD wanted to be introduced into a group of super-villains like several other Bat-Rogues, like Crusher."

That figuratively poured liquid nitrogen on Crystal's temper.

"And you know what's worse?" Steph asked.

"Worse?!" Crystal gasped.

"If you had given my guardianship to Aunt Selina, even just last summer before she left for Europe, I would have been safe. I wouldn't be suffering from a mild concussion because Dad rammed me into my fucking bookshelf. And it's your fault, because you're too proud to stubborn, to selfish to realize that as long as I live under the same roof as the Clue Master, I'm in perpetual danger."

She got up and walked to the table where Silver had laid the forms. She picked them.

"I know you love me, but you suck at showing it in the way it matters, in assuring my safety."

She tossed the papers on the bed cover; atop Crystal's lap.

"Out." she hissed.

"What?" Steph blinked.

"All of you, get. Out." She repeated.

"You're not thinking straight." Steph began, but then Crystal pushed the call button.

"We're leaving." Silver placated her in an even voice. "But think of what is best. Not just for you, but for your daughter."

What alerted Paula that there was something wrong was the sight of a heartbroken Stephanie wailing in Dinah's arms, whose own cheeks were shining from tears.

Barbara was with them in a couple second, embracing both blonds tightly.

Silver was talking animatedly with Shondra, who was noting like mad on her digital chard board.

"She didn't sign, didn't she?" the reformed villain known as Huntress asked the silver haired attorney.

"She even kicked us out of the room. Including Stephanie." Silver replied somberly.

Montoya, who arrived just then stopped short, aghast.

"She what?!" Paula and the detective exclaimed as one.

Stephanie, sobbing, quickly gave the digest of what they expected to do and how her mother reacted, rather badly.

Montoya picked her phone and selected a speed dial preset.

"Romy, it's Renee. Are you still on the clock? Good. I have his a case of emergency guardianship that need to be stream rolled ASAP... Yes, it's for Stephanie... Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon... Mmhmmhh. Yes, I do... I think Dee does as well... Mmhh yes. Call me back as soon as you have the kit."

Stephanie looked at Renee expectantly.

"I just called my colleague, Romy Chandler. You met her at the Central. One of her relatives works for the Child Protection Services. I called and endorsed for Emergency Guardianship with Ms Lance and Barbara. But if push came to shove, you could stay with Dee and I until I can have a chat with your mom."

The Detective found herself tackled by a blond and teary missile that kept on repeating Thank You! Gracias! Thank you!

Dinah came to Montoya and hugged her as well

"******¡** Podría besarte ahora mismo!" Dinah whispered

"No thanks, Ms Lance! I don't want to get in trouble with Daria! A hug will do just fine." laughed Renee.

"It's Dinah, Detective." Dinah smiled

"And it's Renee." The Latina replied.

"You rule, Renee. You know that, right?" Barbara smiled, teary eyed herself.

"And don't you forget it, Red!" she winked at her mentor's daughter.

Shondra approached them.

"She was sedated, and will be placed in a private room as you requested, Sil."

Paula asked immediately "which one?"

Shondra looked at her critically.

"I'll try to talk to her. She knows that Stephanie and Arty were close when Steph was a kid. Hopefully it'll be enough to help me convince her." the paraplegic woman answered the silent question.

"Good luck with that." Stephanie remarked sarcastically, but a scold from Dinah quickly made her apology.

"It's alright, dear." Paula smiled gently at her young upstairs neighbor. "But you need some rest too. So how about you guys go back to her room and I'll join you there."

The call arrived, and the papers were faxed to the desk, signed, and faxed back.

Stephanie was released in the custody of one Dinah Laurel Lance and Barbara Gordon, with a sick leave of three days.

*****Illumination*****

**Gotham General Hospital **

**9:00 pm EDT**

When Crystal Brown opened her eyes again, she was a single room, still connected to a monitor.

...and there was someone else in the room with her. Someone in a wheelchair.

Trying to get a better look, she tried to pull herself up with the parakeet handle, but quickly gave up when she felt the multiple stitched protest. Some of the band aids were fresh too, meaning they must have been changed.

The person in the wheelchair approached.

"Paula? What are you doing here?" she asked, perplexed.

"Keep an eye on my friend, for one." Paula said, pulling Crystal's cover up. "I lost a daughter recently, I don't want to loose a friend, too."

Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Paula, don't you..."

"Hear me out, please." the older woman asked simply. "It is painful enough as it is."

"Fine, say your piece and leave me alone." Crystal agreed grouchily.

Paula pinched her eyes and lips close, squeezing the armrests of her chair tightly, forcing herself to be calm and serene.

"After I got sentenced for six years and suffering my wound..." She began. "Artemis had to stay alone with her dad, Crusher. Even my oldest, Jade, didn't stick around to help her sister.

'Every girl for herself', that's what Crusher taught her. For half a decade, he pushed her in almost inhumane ways, arranging her to train with the most ruthless fighters in the Light. Yes, they are very real, I was a member, myself. "

Crystal looked at her friend stunned.

"You think it's random chance that in the building we had Sports Master, Clue Master and Icicle and Killer Frost?! Anyway, Crusher shipped Arty in diverse dangerous places of the world. Khandaq, Byalia, Nanda Parbat... all that to train with folks like David Cain, Lady Shiva, Talia Al Ghul, Malcom Merlyn, even Richard Dragon. In order to make her a killer."

Crystal was like frozen in shock.

"I could have spared that existence." Paula sniffed, whiping tears. "If I had been more honest, with myself and with Arty's father."

"But I though you said it was his fault that Artemis was forced to live like that?!" exclaimed a confused Crystal.

"I meant her real father, one good hearted playboy I met during one of Crusher's jobs."

"Let me guess, Bruce Wayne." Crystal sarcastically suggested.

"Wrong hair color. I met with Oliver Queen. And boy, is he a good lay!" Paula joked feebly.

Her neighbor blushed and snorted.

"Soon after he got with and married one Dinah Lance."

Paula looked at her incredulously.

"Nice story, Paula, tragic and epic, and all. But what does it have to do with Stephanie?"

Paula's expression turned dark.

"Because whatever hell my girls had to get through in their childhood, it's nothing compared what your husband has planned for Steph."

Crystal stayed quite for a second then hissed

"You don't know that!" she exclaimed.

"I'm still in touch with Jade. She still has some ties with the Light, even after having Lian, as an insurance for her daughter's safety. But after Artemis got murdered by Black Manta's bastard of a son, she's really considering leaving, and she got intel that the Light's inner circle already has two new enforcers. One is certain, but the second, not yet, and it's between the rookie and Clue Master, provided he can prove his valor and loyalty to the Light."

Crystal was conflicted, she didn't know if she could, or wanted to believe Paula. Arthur wouldn't do it to his daughter, would he? She didn't fool herself into thinking he loved her, she was at best an alibi and an okay lay, and a place to crash in. Nothing Fairy Tales worthy. But they managed to create something beautiful, their daughter.

"...But you have the chance to spare Stephanie anymore pain, suffering and anguish. I've seen them together. I can tell they adore each other, and Barbara is the best role model and big sister she could hope and dream for. Now, I've said my piece, and I'm leaving. So do her a favor, and call them in the morning. Detective Montoya left an officer by your door for your safety. Dinah got emergency guardianship, so she's safe. For Now."

Paula waved and left, nodding to the Sergeant Rojas who was sitting outside the door, reading on a tablet.

***Illumination***

Gotham General Hospital

April 4th 1:00 am EDT

Crystal woke up as she felt a sharp pain on her chest.

Her eyes went wide, here was Arthur, in his old Clue Master costume under an limed trenchcoat.

His expression was beyond angry. Clue Master pressed a hand on her mouth. Crystal shook her

head, trying vainly to free herself. A fine line of light illumined the room from the door left slightly ajar, blocked by...

She gasped. The bloody and overweight uniform clad body of the cop who was supposedly guarding her doorstep.

"I'll remove my hand, but if you scream I'll kill whoever come to check. Got me, bitch?" he snarled.

His breath reeked of cheap vodka. And something else, that she couldn't identify

She nodded. And he removed his hand.

"Where is she?" he asked, hatred oozing from his voice.

"Whom?" she had the gall to ask.

"Stephanie! That devilspawn of a spoiler!" he snapped. "She cost me my place, my job! My ticket to the top! They picked Deathstroke instead of me, as their new enforcers. because she escaped! Deathstroke and that Asian bitch, Tigress!"

"You won't get her, freak! She's under the protection of Batman!" she lied. She knew she was done for. But if she could convince her monstrous husband that she was out of his reach, no pun intended, he would leave her alone. And how further out of there could she be than under the protection of the Batman?

To her shock and pain, he stabbed her thigh, barely missing the femoral artery. She screamed, in pain.

"BATMAN?! You lying bitch! He's not even on Earth at the moment! Vandall Savage saw to that! So, Where. Is. She?!"

As on cue, the window burst in. Shielded by the curtain and blanket, the young woman wasn't further wounded.

But Clue Master, it was another question.

Two figures jumped in the room from the now vacant opening, one of them landed a powerful round house kick in her aggressor's face, causing him to spin in mid-air landing on the dead cop's corpse.

"I'll give you a clue, Brown! She ain't here!" A teen aged male voice snarled viciously.

Despite the pain from the leg stab and split sutures, Crystal opened an eye.

There they were, the famed Boy Wonder and Batgirl.

"Officer down. Mrs Brown is seriously wounded and need... UMPH!"

She had been interrupted by the impact of Robin in her.

Both women turned their head, and saw a growing Arthur Brown.

"What the heck?!" Robin exclaimed, getting back to his feet. "Sorry, BG."

"Focus!" she growled. "He got dosed with Venom."

"Oh this is bad!" Robin commented, before leaping over the bed and scissoring Brown's neck with his boots. With a twist of his waist and the help of gravitation laws, Clue Master was flipped head over heels, through the door.

"FREEZE!" a voice shouted.

"Wrong villain!" Brown laughed, picking a shard of of the door and tossing it at the incoming cops.

He looked inside

"We ain't done, you and I, you backstabbing bitch! I'll get Stephanie, even if I have to call in every favor I got, turn every corner of this town!"

With that he ran toward the unsuspecting officers, and rammed into them, helped by the extra boost of strength provided by the Venom.

Their formation exploded like a set of pins in a bowling alley.

"Tail him!" Batgirl ordered. "Omega, we have a fugitive! Clue Master, but he's pumped with Venom. Zero on Robin's position."

Batgirl approached the bed and pressed the hand on Crystal's main wound.

The older woman's breathing was shallow, and she was barely conscious.

In a last effort she openned her eyes.

"The papers. Table. Give me."

Under her mask, Barbara's eyes went wide, and she rushed for the table.

Which had been upturned and crashed in the fight.

"Ohh no! No no no no!"

Looking around, she saw a form slowly floatting toward the broken window, carried by the draft of the conditioned air sucked out in the colder air of April.

She dove after them. Caught them... But continued to fall

"Aww come On!" she moaned as she was picking up speed, trying to reach her –oh crap! Her missing grappling gun.

Fortunately, a hand stopped her fall. A green skinned hand.

She smiled at Miss Martian who returned the smile, but kept the same somewhat haunted look in her eyes.

"Thanks, Ms M! I owe you one. Can you bring me back to the room, please?"

For a moment, as she was throwing her last ounce of strength to stay conscious, Crystal thought she was hallucinating.

Batgirl was floating back in the room by the window, even though she had dropped her grappling when Robin had crashed into her, courtesy of hulked out Clue Master. The Red head was holding papers in her hands.

_She had risked her life to get those goddamn papers?! Why?!_

"pen." she whispered. And Batgirl provided her one. She signed the paper.

"Move aside!" shouted a running Shondra, followed by two cops in riot gear.

Too late, boys, Elvis already left the building.

They pulled their dead colleague out of the room. Barbara could see he hadn't been killed inside, but in the hallway.

Shondra looked at her, then at the busy SWAT officers, and placed her hands on the wound and closed her eyes.

Batgirl's eyes, on the other hand, grew wide, as the wound closed some, then she stopped, and starter to suture the less grievous stab wound.

The young woman sighed, and collapsed against the wall, her fist holding the previous form that would give her new surrogate sister a new, fresh start.

"Batgirl to Black Canary... I got them. Yes, she signed them... Yes, she's alive, but unconscious. Omega is trailing Clue Master. I'm heading back to the nest. Over and out."

She picked her grappling gun and leaped through the window.

End chapter 3


End file.
